1 RUNNING HEADER: ANALYZING PERCEPTIONS OF MUSIC Analyzing Perceptions of Music From a Songwriting Perspective A Senior Project Presented to The Faculty of the Communication Studies Department California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Bachelor of Arts By Jackson S. Reynosa Spring 2020 Dr. Jnan Blau Senior Project Advisor Dr. Grace Yeh Department Interim Chair © Jackson Stephen Reynosa 2 RUNNING HEADER: ANALYZING PERCEPTIONS OF MUSIC ABSTRACT This study seeks to understand listeners’ perceptions of music from a generational and songwriting approach. A total of 123 participants aged 18 and older took part in an open-ended survey design that measured their subjective music preferences. Four different sections tested participants’ music taste, music tied to generations, an original song made by the researcher, and songwriting in a holistic sense. It was found that participants exercised individualism and authenticity in their responses throughout. By using the Uses and Gratifications Theory, it is explainable that people listened and sought out music for their own unique reasons. By applying Mood Management Theory, it was found that a majority of participants listened to music for its ability to aid with their emotions. Finally, by using the Expectancy Violations Theory, this study found that people preferred to be surprised when they listened to a song— assuming they were already familiar with the song’s structure, and associated the surprise with positive sentiments. Keywords: Music, Songwriting, Music Preferences, Expectancy Violations Theory, Mood Management Theory, Generational Music, Uses and Gratifications Theory 3 RUNNING HEADER: ANALYZING PERCEPTIONS OF MUSIC Introduction Songwriting scholarship is generally an underdeveloped realm in academia. While nearly everyone listens to music, not many people acknowledge the source of their favorite songs. It is crucial to understand songwriting in its fullest form. While it is important to inspect the creative side of songwriting, it is also necessary to denote its practical and lucrative purpose. Many songs we hear on the radio were written for the sake of appealing to listeners all over the world. The creation of ‘Popular Music’ has thus perpetuated a systematic way of producing music for the masses. Ultimately, our music media is designed in a way that privileges a certain sound, a particular look, and a distinct style. This creates a large barrier to entry for any new musicians looking to penetrate this industry. Each decade or so, usually there are a select few artists that dominate the realm of Popular Music. This is due to their ability to maneuver through a system that honors a cookie-cutter way of doing things. The most successful songwriters operate behind the scenes. They often take refuge behind bigger names who have credibility within the industry. For instance, songwriter Max Martin has written hits for Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, The Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, and more (Getlen, 2015). There are a select few people who have their hand in nearly every song we hear on a daily basis. Whether we are aware of it or not, many of the world’s favorite artists are not entirely responsible for the songs they release and perform. According to writer Tim Ingham, of the U.S. top 10 hits chart in 2018, an average of 9.1 credited songwriters were used per song (Ingham, 2019). In essence, the hit songs we hear are very well-planned and well-thought-out. While examining Popular Music can be useful, it does not encapsulate all of what songwriting has to offer. By solely appreciating songs for their ability to appeal to everyone, it is evident that we lose out on the authentic nature of music. The popular songs that get replayed on 4 RUNNING HEADER: ANALYZING PERCEPTIONS OF MUSIC the radio do not encapsulate all of what music has to offer. The beauty within the art lies in music’s ability to appeal differently to everyone. Listeners have such unique and eccentric taste, that it is unrealistic to assume everyone will prefer the same songwriting styles. The goal of this project is to understand songwriting in two different ways. First, it will aim to examine the specific criteria that has the ability to curate a widely-appreciated song. Secondly, it will understand the subjective preferences that listeners have when it comes to choosing their music. In doing so, the reader will gain insight on what an audience-preferred songwriting style is— all while recognizing and acknowledging the variation that exists between listener responses. Following a literature review that will introduce the reader to the ideas covered in this paper, an open-ended survey pertaining to music taste will be explained and concluded. Throughout this study, participants were asked questions that pertained to four categories: holistic music taste and habits, music in the context of one’s age group, an original song written by the researcher, and holistic songwriting preferences. Literature Review Explicating Popular Music The term, ‘Popular Music’, is a collection of music that is distributed to the masses. Throughout time, Popular Music has increased its prevalence and power in our society. This is due to the genre’s purpose in its early stages— the roots of Popular Music were entirely founded on the basis of capitalistic intentions. British music critic, Peter Gammond, explains the linguistic history behind Pop music. He remarks, “the abbreviation ‘Pop’ was not in use as a generic term until the 1950’s when it was adopted as the umbrella name for a special kind of musical product aimed at a teenage market” (Gammond, 1991, p. 457). Beginning as a marketing 5 RUNNING HEADER: ANALYZING PERCEPTIONS OF MUSIC strategy, Popular Music has continually been able to infiltrate the media and manifest itself into our musical systems. Much like how large corporations control our world’s economy, the music industry is ruled by an elite few. Author Roy Shuker denotes these business moguls as ‘multimedia conglomerates’ (Shuker, 2012). An example of this is Warner Media— a multi- media corporation that controls a large part of the film and music industry. Their music brand, Warner Music Group, holds an incredibly strong position within the entertainment industry. The Warner Music Group is so successful, that they are a parent company to the very highly accredited label, Atlantic Records (GiGlue, 2017). Essentially, the companies with large media presence have more opportunity to mass-produce and distribute songs. This is due to their ability to meet the initial capital demands for top-notch recording, songwriting, and talent. In addition to this, their connections with media allows them to find success in circulating their music throughout society. Thus, it is transparent that Popular Music is controlled by those with the most resources and connections within the industry. In essence, Popular Music isn’t bound to a single, specific genre. It is one of its own, since it depends on the tastes and trends that are ever-changing in the world. Authors Stuart Borthwick and Ron Moy understand Popular Music as something that is bound to the reproduction of social relations (Borthwick & Moy, 2004). Throughout time, society undergoes numerous historical, political, economic, and social changes, that is reflected in the music being mass-produced and distributed. It is very evident that music imitates life. The Beatle’s decision to release the song “Revolution” in the 60’s was a direct response to the Vietnam War. Likewise, the BritPop invasion in the 90’s featured a popularized new style, in a “right place, right time” fashion. 6 RUNNING HEADER: ANALYZING PERCEPTIONS OF MUSIC Every generation has a different definition of what Popular Music should be. The Popular Music on the radio today does not reflect what it was even a decade ago. The Taylor Swifts and Lady Gagas of the world were once Nirvana, Devo, or The Cure. In essence, while new trends have replaced older ones, Popular Music still seems to operate the same. Author David Pattie asserts that “the medium appears so different should not mask the fact that, at base, the deep structures of the market have remained relatively unaffected.” (Pattie, 2015, p. 305). The music industry’s job is to keep up with listener’s current demands. They do so very systematically, in which artists are thrown into the industry and given the necessary resources to sell music to a large audience. Moreover, the choice to include certain artists in this process is up to a select-few people. Author Roy Shucker notes how “the music industry has a number of gatekeepers, [that make] the initial decision about who to record and promote” (Shucker, 2012, p. 141). It is no secret that these gatekeepers hold an immense amount of power in this regard. Popular Music is a genre that has been created in order to profit off of society. In the words of author Simon Frith, “Pop Music now [has] a different audience with different kinds of expectations” (Frith, 2016, p. 196). The songs heard on the radio are tailored towards those who are more likely to be good fans— the music industry has an expectation that listeners will buy into certain artists. Whether it be through buying merchandise and records, or attending concerts, artists under record labels are marketed and sold like a product. The debate over whether or not Popular Music serves a positive purpose for society is entirely subjective and unanswerable. At one point in time, Popular Music embodied society, and society reciprocated their dedication to it. However, the genre in its modern stage has continually been critiqued for its inauthenticity and ‘sell-out’ strategies. Many people choose to identify with modern Popular Music, while many don’t. A KCPR radio writer, Tristan Noak, asserts that a meta-modern stance on Popular 7 RUNNING HEADER: ANALYZING PERCEPTIONS OF MUSIC Music views the genre as an authentic and valuable form of music (Noak, 2016).